Go!

The first mission week I attended changed the course of my life and the way I wanted to live my life. The speaker for the week was Floyd McClung, the International Director of Youth with a Mission at that time. It is the first time that I heard someone speaking so passionately about missions. Jesus began to stir in my heart and started speaking to me about going, to answer His commandment to go. The final evening they asked everyone that wants to commit themselves to go to the nations to come onto the stage. They gave us a card that we can take with us to remember the night we made the commitment. Being single at the time and looking around on stage I thought it would be great if my wife to be is with me on stage. So I said a prayer that my wife must be on the stage with me.

Few years later Rika and I were doing Bible study and a very familiar card fell out of her Bible. I asked her were she got the card and she said that at the end of a mission week that Floyd McClung talked at she went on stage to commit her life to go. It was really hard to keep my composure, for I knew that Jesus answered my prayers. Rika and I both knew that we were called to serve the nations, we have the same vision and dreams. The decision we made to Go, is what gives us joy and to know that we are obedient to the last commandement of Jesus. In times when things are tough we know that this very place is where Jesus wants us. I went to Nepal a couple of times visiting All Nations church planters there. I found it very hard, promising myself every time I leave that I would never want to go back again. The missionary a young lady from the United States told me she would not want to be in any other place than Nepal, because this is were Jesus wants her. Floyd McClung always said "I am planning to go, but willing to stay." Is God laying a specific nation on your heart a people group that you are starting to be passionate about? Plan to go, but serve the community where you are right now as you wait to go.

Our 2004 CPx class in Kansas City

Follow

Rika and I started our missions journey in 1997 when we joined Youth with a Mission at their base in Stonewall, Colorado. We did a Leadership Development School that was led by Floyd and Sally McClung. The last few days I have been busy reading Floyd's latest book titled "Follow". I quote from the book: " All followers and seekers of Jesus must wrestle with three simple yet profound truths. Worship. Mission. Community. They are simple, but they will affect every area of your life if you allow them to.

Once again they are:

1.  Worship:  to love and obey Jesus as a lifestyle - with passion and purpose.
2.  Mission: to love those who don't follow Jesus - with courage and decency.
3.  Community: to love other followers of Jesus - with intentionality and transparency."

How is Jesus influencing your life in these three areas? Are you willing for Jesus to touch every area of your life? Imagine a church that lives out all three these three values. In our meetings on Tuesday nights we are challenging each other to reach out and love those who is not yet following Jesus. 

"Follow" by Floyd McClung is all about discipleship. I highly recommend this book. Floyd and Sally McClung are the founders of All Nations. They currently live in Cape Town where they mentor and train, church planters.

Pascal with Floyd McClung during our CPx in Kansas City 2005